1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for hanging objects from a wall, such as picture hanging devices, and more specifically it relates to a picture, sconce, decorative shelf and mirror hanging device for allowing easy positioning, leveling, marking and hanging of all types of pictures, sconces, decorative shelves, mirrors, clocks, artwork, and/or other objects that one might want to hang in a level orientation from a specifically targeted area on a vertically extending surface, such as but not limited to a wall.
2. Description of the Related Art
It can be appreciated that picture hanging devices have been in use for years. Typically, picture hanging devices are comprised of various devices for aiding in the alignment and hanging of pictures. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,135 to Hindall discloses a device that supports a picture and includes an alignment gauge and positioning arm to allow marking the location of a hook on a wall targeted for hanging that picture. However, the Hindall disclosure does not provide a method for hanging heavier pictures requiring more than one hook. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,574 to Levy shows a measuring tool and a mechanism for horizontal or vertical alignment with the wall. However, the device does not include temporary hooks similar to those used with the present invention, and from which a picture or sconce can be hung, to locate a position on the wall for their placement. The U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,213 to Kelly discloses a way in which to scribe positions on a wall for hanging pictures with one or two hooks. However the Kelly device does not provide a single step for positioning a picture on the wall and marking the position where a user wants it hung. Another prior art picture hanging device is the Rimback device disclosed in published U.S. patent application No. 2003/0229999 A1. The Rimback device addresses and overcomes some of the problems with prior art picture hangers, but is deficient in many other ways, including the hanging of other types of decorative and functional wall items.
The main problems with conventional picture hanging devices are that they are primarily for hanging pictures and are deficient in the area of hanging other two-hook items such as wall sconces, decorative shelves, mirrors, clocks, and pictures with integral mounting holes or mounting clips of differing widths. While the Rimback device will allow for the hanging of items needing one or two wall hooks, an important limitation of the Rimback device is that its alignment hooks and marking holes are in fixed, pre-determined and non-adjustable positions. In contrast, the hooking clips of the present invention can be located in infinitely variable positions upon its horizontal support member. Consequently the Rimback device does not lend itself well to the vast variance of widths found between mounting holes and mounting clips on items intended for wall mounting, such as but not limited to wall sconces, decorative shelves, mirrors and some pictures. Because of this, the Rimback device and others like it are limited primarily to hanging wire mounted pictures, wherein the spacing or width between the placement of the wall hooks is not critical to hanging. However, items intended for vertical hanging which have two or more integral fixed position mounting holes or mounting clips are nearly impossible to hang with the Rimback device and other similar prior art devices, to include decorative items designed to be wall-mounted that are “one-of-a-kind” works of decorative art when it comes to mounting them. For although several of theses “one-of-a-kind” works may appear to be duplicates of one another, or near duplicates, from the front, each is produced without the precision of automation and consequently has integral mounting holes or mounting clips that vary widely in spacing and frequently are out of alignment with each other. Thus, even though wall hooks that are in a level orientation relative to one another are used to mount such a “one-of-a-kind” work, once hung it generally does not have a level appearance. As a result, fixed width, non-adjustable hanging devices, such as the Rimback and similar prior art hanging devices, can not be used effectively to hang such “one-of-a-kind” items, as their non-adjustable fixed width mounting capability can not accommodate the vast variations in mounting hole or mounting clip widths existing in a wide array of decorative and functional wall items. Another problem with conventional picture hanging devices is that the integral mounting holes or mounting clips on many hand made wall sconces, decorative shelves, mirrors, pictures, and other items are markedly out of alignment relative to each other and, in a similar manner to the “one-of-a-kind” items mentioned above, and use of level markings on a wall for placement of wall hooks to hang them will not result in a wall-mounted item with a level appearance. This variation in alignment makes it highly improbable that an installer using any of the currently available hanging devices will be able to mark a wall for hook placement so that unique decorative items can be hung level without having to make at east one surplus hole in the wall. Another problem with conventional picture hanging devices is that they often damage, mark or scrape the wall around a targeted hanging location as they are being used to position a picture. This is because they provide no mechanism or means to hold the picture away from the wall prior to and after wall marking, or prevent the edges of the picture or the apparatus itself from contacting the wall while it is being used.
While known prior art devices may be suitable for the particular purpose they address, they are not generally as versatile as the present invention, which allows easy positioning and time-saving leveling, marking and hanging of all types of pictures, sconces, decorative shelves, artwork, clocks, mirrors and other devices from a vertically extending surface. The main problem with known picture hanging devices is that they are primarily effective for hanging pictures on a wall from a single hook and typically deficient in the area of hanging items requiring two wall hooks, particularly wall sconces, decorative shelves, mirrors, artwork, and pictures with integral mounting holes or mounting clips having differing spaced-apart widths. Although the Rimback and other similar devices will allow for the hanging of items with one or two hooks, they are significantly limited by their alignment hooks and marking holes being in fixed, non-adjustable positions. Because of this, the Rimback and other similar hanging devices are limited primarily to hanging wire mounted pictures, since with wire mounted pictures the spacing or width between the placement of the wall hooks is not critical to hanging.
In these respects, the picture, sconce, decorative shelf, clock, artwork, mirror decorative and functional item hanging device according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs known in the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of allowing easy and time-efficient positioning, leveling, marking and first-time hanging of all types of pictures, sconces, decorative shelves, clocks, artwork, mirrors, and other decorative and functional items against a vertically extending surface even though integral mounting holes or mounting clips on the item to be hung are misaligned. No other invention is known with all of the features and advantages of the present invention.